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‘BLAMTASTIC!’ NEW 50p Coins released to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Dennis!
Recently, we announced an exciting brand new collection of 50p coins celebrating the 70th anniversary of the longest running comic strip in Beano® comics – Dennis! Unsurprisingly, since their release, the coins have seen huge demand as collectors and beloved comic fans alike race to get theirs.
But, before anything else, you must know that all the specifications of these coins have been released in extremely low edition limits. When you consider that over 1.5 million people were once part of the official Beano Fan Club, they are virtually guaranteed to not satisfy demand.
The 50p has firmly established itself as the collector’s favourite coin, so it was only right the pesky trouble makers from the Beano classic feature on them. Authorised for release by Pitcairn Islands, fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen and officially licensed by Beano®, don’t miss out on the chance of securing yours.
Find out more about these new coins and how to order them below >>
The Complete Brilliant Uncirculated 50p Set
This stunning collection features all five new 50p coins, each struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality and featuring carefully curated designs by illustrator Glyn Davies. These include:
- Dennis’s 70th Anniversary
- Gnasher
- Minnie the Minx
- Roger the Dodger
- Billy Whizz
What’s more, the coins will come protectively housed in an officially licensed presentation pack – adding further to its desirability.
Limited to JUST 15,000 sets worldwide you’ll need to act fast if you’d like to own on.
Click here to secure yours for just £31.25 (+p&p) >>
The Superior Coloured Silver Proof 50p…
The Silver Proof version of Official Dennis ‘70’ 50p coin features a special illustration of Dennis, alongside a stylised ‘70’ – to honour the 70th Anniversary. What’s more, the coin has been struck to a flawless Proof finish from .925 Sterling Silver with selective vivid colour printing to bring the design to life!
The Silver Proof editions are without a doubt the collector’s favourite and almost always acquire fast sell-outs and with an edition limit of JUST 4,999 coins this will be no exception.
Click here to guarantee yours >>
The COMPLETE Silver Proof 50p Collection
The Silver Proof set is by far the most limited and exclusive way to own these five new 50ps. With only 1,999 available to collectors worldwide, it is almost certain that they won’t be around for long.
Each coin is struck from .925 Silver, to a Proof finish, with the addition of colour. They will arrive protectively encapsulated, ready to display in a presentation box, along with numbered Certificate of Authenticity, confirming its place in the stringent edition limit.
Don’t miss out on yours… Click here and secure yours with a deposit of only £32.50 today >>
The ULTIMATE Silver Proof Cover – JUST 50 worldwide
If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind way to own the brand new Silver Proof 50p coins in undoubtedly the smallest edition presentation, then the 2021 Dennis’s 70th Anniversary Ultimate Silver Proof 50p Cover is for you.
Limited strictly to JUST 50 worldwide, each collection features all five Dennis 50p coins, struck from .925 Sterling Silver with the addition of vivid selective colour, paired alongside the BRAND NEW Royal Mail Dennis Miniature Sheet – postmarked on the first day of issue 01/07/2021. This one-day-only postmark guarantees the strict 50 edition limit – so no more will ever be released.
From a collector’s point of view, the decision is obvious. You won’t find these Silver Proof 50p coins in a smaller edition presentation anywhere else. Secure yours with a deposit of just £37.50 today >>
The Complete Brilliant Uncirculated 50p Cover – JUST 750 available
Also available is the Complete Dennis’s 70th Anniversary Ultimate BU Cover. Limited strictly to just 750, each collection features all five Dennis Brilliant Uncirculated 50p coins alongside the BRAND NEW Royal Mail Dennis Miniature Sheet – postmarked on the first day of issue 01/07/2021.
Almost certainly, this is one of the smallest edition presentations of the new BU 50p coins that you’re likely to see and they are exclusively available from The Westminster Collection.
Why collectors need to know about the new Princess Diana statue
It’s hard to believe that almost 25 years ago the nation lost its People’s Princess. Diana, Princess of Wales, was famously known for her compassion and commitment to good causes. Many of her patronages included children’s and cancer charities, and her work advocating for mental health and HIV became world famous.
Diana’s ability to touch the hearts of everyone is remembered by millions around the world. Today, Thursday 1st July 2021, on what would have been Princess Diana’s 60th Birthday a special statue is due to be unveiled.
And it’s causing quite the excitement in the collecting community…
Commissioned by both the Princes
In 2017, Princes William and Harry announced they were commissioning a statue for their late mother to ‘help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and legacy…and recognise their mother’s positive impact’ [1].
Both Princes have signed off and approved the design together.
Placed in Diana’s favourite spot
The statue will be unveiled in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, which is said to have been Diana’s favourite spot. In fact, in 2017 for the 20th anniversary of her death, the garden was transformed into a beautiful tribute to her. Featuring displays of forget-me-nots, white lilies, white roses, tulips, and Cosmo daisies. The white and cream hues were a nod to Diana’s love for lighter shades.
And importantly for collectors
The statue itself has been designed by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, who has a glittering history of commissioned work for The Royal Mint. Most notably are his portrait design of Queen Elizabeth II featured on all UK coins between 1998 and 2015, and the recent UK Prince Philip memorial coin. His work has also featured on many medals and commemorative coins, including the UK 2012 Diamond Jubilee £5 Coin, the 2002 Golden Jubilee Crown, and the Queen Mother Centenary Crown.
With such an established career, it’s safe to say that many collectors are excited to see the result of Rank-Broadley’s latest work for this special statue.
And as this year marks what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday, alongside the new statue unveiling multiple commemoratives have been issued to pay tribute to the People’s Princess. If you’d like to pay tribute to the late Princess, you can see the full range available by clicking here.
If you’re interested:
You can pay tribute to Princess Diana with a limited edition 60th Birthday Frame – hand stamped on the 1st July 2021 on what would have been Diana’s birthday. Just 495 collectors can own one, so you’ll need to act today to secure yours. Click here to find out more >>
References
[1] https://www.dw.com/en/princess-diana-statue-to-be-unveiled/a-58017359
The secrets hidden in the NEW Alan Turing £50 banknote…
Whether you love them or hate them, it’s fair to say that when the Bank of England issued the very first polymer banknotes, UK currency was revolutionised. As well as refreshing the designs of the notes, these polymer versions were considered a cleaner, safer, and stronger alternative.
In 2016 it was the £5 that received the first makeover, and Winston Churchill was selected to feature on the note. Jane Austen soon followed on the £10 note and JMW Turner was selected to feature on the £20 polymer note last year.
Now, the scarcest and largest banknote in circulation – the £50 banknote – has received the same polymer makeover treatment, and on 23rd June 2021 the brand new polymer banknote featuring Alan Turning was released.
But it’s not only the design that makes this note special. You see, the Bank of England have described their polymer notes as the most secure series of banknotes yet. So, I’m of course curious to see what special security features have been worked into the design of our newest banknote…
Britain’s most secure banknote
Before the revolutionary polymer £50 came along, The Bank of England estimated that there were over 350 million £50 paper banknotes in circulation in the UK in 2021 – the lowest number of all UK banknotes.
Last year, approximately 20,000 counterfeit £50 notes were seized by The Bank of England – the second highest number of counterfeits out of all UK banknote denominations. When you consider that, it’s understandable that the need to make the new £50 polymer banknote difficult to counterfeit was at the forefront of the designer’s mind!
Let’s take a look at some of the security features incorporated into the design:
- Transparent windows – the foil in the large see-through window is green and gold on the front, and silver on the back. Within the gold foil squares the image changes between ‘50’ and a ‘£’ symbol when tilted. Plus, there’s a second, smaller window in the bottom corner.
- Changing holograms – the hologram beneath the large clear pane will alternate between reading ‘Fifty’ and ‘Pounds’ depending on what way you tilt the note.
- The Queen’s portrait in the transparent window – the Queen’s portrait is printed on the window with ‘£50 Bank of England’ printed twice around the edge.
- Foil patches – a silver foil patch contains a 3D image of the coronation crown. There is a second red foil patch which contains the letters ‘AT’.
- Ultra-violet technology – under UV light, the number ’50’ appears in bright red and green on the front of the note, against a duller background.
- Raised dots – you’ll find four clusters of raised dots in the top left hand corner. This tactile feature helps blind and partially sighted people identify the value of the note.
Alan Turing design
In 2018 the Banknote Character Advisory Committee chose to celebrate the field of science on the £50 note. Following this, nominations were accepted by the public over six weeks, accumulating over 225,000 nominations and 989 individual characters for consideration. 12 names were shortlisted, and Alan Turing was finally selected by the Governor of the Bank of England.
The note itself features a portrait of Turing based on a photo taken in 1951 by Elliot & Fry which is part of the Photographs Collection at the National Portrait Gallery. The artwork on the reverse of the note celebrates Turing’s pioneering mathematics and work with computers.
Most notably the design features technical drawings for the British Bombe, the machine specified by Turing and one of the primary tools used to break Enigma-enciphered messages during WWII.
Stationed at Bletchley Park, he played a pivotal role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic. It’s estimated that this work shortened the war in Europe by more than two years and saved over 14 million lives.
What do you think about the new £50 Polymer note? Let us know in the comments!
If you’re interested…
If you’re looking for a way to own this significant, revolutionary piece of British currency, then look no further than the UK 2021 £50 Polymer Banknote DateStamp™ issue. Each DateStamp™ issue has been postmarked by Royal Mail with the note’s first day of release – 23rd June 2021 – forever ensuring its provenance.
First issues are always valued by collectors and by owning the DateStamp™ issue you will be one of just 995 collectors able to forever mark the date the new £50 polymer banknote entered circulation. We have a limited number available, so click here to find out more >>